Twelve-year-old girl named ‘Best Camper’ at GDF Cadet Camp

Twelve-year-old Alliah Shaw of Hope Secondary School was named ‘Best Camper’ at the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) first National Cadet Corps Camp, the Department of Public Information said yesterday.

The seven-day pilot programme was hosted at the Colonel John Clarke Military School (CJCMS) at Tacama.

Shaw was named best camper from a field of 289 who completed the camp yesterday. Participating schools included Mackenzie High School, Berbice High School, Hope Secondary, North Ruimveldt Secondary, Stewartville Secondary and St. Ignatius Secondary. Six parents were also a part of the camp.

Sharing her experience with DPI, Shaw said “it was good. At first, I thought I would be nervous and I would make mistakes but as the days went by, everything got better.”

Shaw, who wants to become a soldier one day, said the camp makes her more eager to attain her dream. “It teaches us to be disciplined; it teaches us how to interact with other cadets, it shows us the life of a soldier and how they interact with other soldiers.”

Her mother, Ashmini Shaw, who also participated in the exercise shared her pride in her daughter’s accomplishment. “We allow her to make her choices and then we guide her and motivate her and I am very proud of her and her achievement,” she said.

Alliah Shaw receiving her prize for ‘Best Camper’ from Chief of Staff of the GDF, Brigadier Patrick West. (DPI photo)